Ultramarathon Daily News | Monday, June 25

Well, well, what a weekend for global ultramarathon running. Stay tuned for a new podcast today that’ll run through all of these stories, but in audio format. I know you’re all busy, and it’s my goal to get you all the MUT info you need in multiple formats.

Let’s start with the international results, and I’ll be defining international as “anything outside of Olympic (Squaw) Valley.” Here’s Justin’s rundown from IRF. Quick thoughts:

American sweep at Lavaredo. Kelly Wolf and Hayden Hawks at the full distance and Hillary Allen and Zach Miller take the 48k. Wow!

Sarah Lavender Smith ran the San Juan Solstice 50 miler and we’ll hear more about that later this week.

At Monte Rosa SkyMarathon, the mixed gender team of Emelie and Kilian finished third in the all-male category. Interesting.

IRF’s play by play of Western States right this way. I’ll talk more about this in today’s news podcast, but the three big takeaways for me were:

The lack of DNFs. Name a top runner who DNFed…can’t do it, can you? Despite the temps, huge finish rate!

The Coconino Cowboys. Jim nailed it and hopefully quieted his doubters, especially with his finish line interview with Magda and Tom.

And finally, the increase in women at the top of the field. The 2016 race saw 10 women in the top 50 OA. Twelve women in the top 50 last year, and fifteen this year. The men ain’t getting any slower, the women are just getting faster!

Here’s where (link fixed) Courtney first ran 100 miles–at a timed race in Minnesota. I like the description that she “runs like a bloody reindeer.”

I host and manage ultrarunnerpodcast.com, a site devoted to the Mountain/Ultra/Trail running world. We interview a wide range of athletes, conduct honest and extensive product reviews, and report on the daily happenings of the MUT scene.

Hope you’ve recovered from your crazy week. Just want to thank you for the time and attention you gave to Adam while you guys were at WS. He really looks up to you. Not to mention, he can’t get over how hilarious you are in person 🙂

Carolyn- You’re raising a wonderful young man. His love of running, the outdoors and his maturity level make his a joy to be around–exactly what we need in this silly sport. If the future of MUT running is more people like Adam, we’ll be in a good place. I hope to see you both soon.

Random digression about the elite DNF rate at Western States: We hear a lot that it’s the most competitive 100-mile field out there (other than maybe UTMB); and in terms of assembled talent, it’s certainly staggering. But I’d suggest it’s not the most competitive, when it comes to how that field races, because Western States is the only race I can think of where “Top 10” is a thing. If they only invited the podium back, or even the winner, I think we’d see the DNF rate go way up among elites, because they’d be incentivized to really go for it. Without crunching any numbers at all, my feeling is that UTMB plays out more like this.

(To be clear, I’m not suggesting States should change anything. I just think there’s very little motive to really light matches, as it were, given the current setup and prestige allotment.)

I have to admit—as someone who never was a fan and tends to be annoyed by the Coconino hype— that Walmsley’s performance is stunning and that he now shows a lot more humility and maturity. There is no question he knows how to race a 100 miler. He already earned his third ticket to UROY and will likely earn another one in 2019. As for the Coconino Cowboys, well, no disrespect but I can’t help but wonder if that’s what they hoped for. Hazen DNS, Freriks and Senseman performing under expectations. Reed did a nice job, but Walmsley stands out. I don’t know if the group itself deserves a special mention here.

Maybe! Or they can keep doing what they do, it’s just fine. But maybe we should stop running stories on them *as a group* when there are so many other equally relevant pairs, groups and other constellations of runners assembled through friendship, training, sponsors, etc.

Eric,
Last week you mentioned using CBD oil as a sleep aid and to reduce inflammation.
Do you have any recommendations on brand and dosage?
It’s hard to find any real data on the intardwebs.
Thanks,
An interested supporter

Look for full spectrum, although under the. 03% thc content, if you anticipate any drug testing and for ease of mind then you could go cbd isolate, which does not contain any thc. Sublingual is most effective in the majority of those using it. If you live in a state that offers medical Marijuana many allow purchase of cbd products without a card, but this does vary by state. Online there is as much crap as there is quality. Look for those who regularly provide lab results on their product. If I were to recommend one brand it would be Nuleaf naturals, if you’re looking for other types of product like salves, pills maybe green mountain cbd, although they don’t always provide regular labs. Hope this helps!

Another WS question for those in the know – was there any drug testing this year? There seemed to be a lot of hype about this last year and it was completely off the radar this year? Any positives last year?
Anyone have info on any TUEs? I feel they should make those public.

Thanks for filling me in. Too bad about the TUEs. IF there are TUEs in place, I’d bet they’d be mostly for testosterone. ‘Low T’ is not a valid excuse in my book. I wonder how many TUEs exists in the top 20 for each gender? 2-3? More?

Not that I would ever encourage drinking beer after running ;), but the paper cited in the article is not as exciting as the article itself: “Because of the known diuretic effects of alcohol, the view that alcohol-containing drinks should be avoided when rehydration is desired is widely promulgated, but there appears to be little evidence to support this.” Maybe we should all be drinking SufferFest FKT?

Great recap. Amazing about the DNFs. “Verbal Stew” for podcast updates??? I know a few local young girls (9-12) who MTB race so I wonder if there are some lessons to learn about MTB outreach and recruitment? Much like big road races who frequently offer a “kids race,” I do not know of any trail ultras who do the same.

I like listening to the URP daily, sometimes reading it I just skim the headlines to what looks interesting but may not actually read the article due to time restraints or initial lack of interest. With you reading it, it gives me more of an insight why you chose it , you do delve deeper into your own write up and also forcing me to absorb it where I may of not if it was just in text. Also I think it may give you a more precise platform to defend your own opinions and less of a chance of misinterpretation , unfortunately that seems to be where we are at these days in social media culture. I would love to hear different intro /outro music, it reminds me of the you-tube toy unboxing videos (very overused in that crazy world) my kid watches- cringe.

After spending the weekend volunteering and spectating at Western States, I am struck by the mountain biking piece. I have been around long-distance trail running and WS 100 for 25 years and have seen many advancements. More participation is great. I encourage everyone. But I’m a bit uncomfortable with some of the money, hype and attitude that is around today. Bigger is not always better. We need to be very careful.

Dr. Cucezella is a Family Medicine Doctor, and owns a running shoe store. Dan Lieberman, Harvard Palaeoanthropologist, doesn’t have any skin in the game, and hasn’t seen any evidence that padded shoes prevent injury.

I wonder what would happen if volunteering and trail work were requirements at more races. It’s hard not to appreciate the people and the trails when you’re the one doing the work. It would be a great equalizer, say something to the world about the culture (in the way that self-penalizing does for golf), and maybe turn away those who are just looking for the latest self-promotion on social media.

Check out Drcourtconley on instagram. She’s a chiropractor who specializes in foot stuff and gait analysis. She just did a review on Hokas. Interesting stuff. She has great videos breaking down foot and leg issues. I love watching her stuff!

Hope you’ve recovered from your crazy week. Just want to thank you for the time and attention you gave to Adam while you guys were at WS. He really looks up to you. Not to mention, he can’t get over how hilarious you are in person 🙂

Carolyn- You’re raising a wonderful young man. His love of running, the outdoors and his maturity level make his a joy to be around–exactly what we need in this silly sport. If the future of MUT running is more people like Adam, we’ll be in a good place. I hope to see you both soon.

Random digression about the elite DNF rate at Western States: We hear a lot that it’s the most competitive 100-mile field out there (other than maybe UTMB); and in terms of assembled talent, it’s certainly staggering. But I’d suggest it’s not the most competitive, when it comes to how that field races, because Western States is the only race I can think of where “Top 10” is a thing. If they only invited the podium back, or even the winner, I think we’d see the DNF rate go way up among elites, because they’d be incentivized to really go for it. Without crunching any numbers at all, my feeling is that UTMB plays out more like this.

(To be clear, I’m not suggesting States should change anything. I just think there’s very little motive to really light matches, as it were, given the current setup and prestige allotment.)

I have to admit—as someone who never was a fan and tends to be annoyed by the Coconino hype— that Walmsley’s performance is stunning and that he now shows a lot more humility and maturity. There is no question he knows how to race a 100 miler. He already earned his third ticket to UROY and will likely earn another one in 2019. As for the Coconino Cowboys, well, no disrespect but I can’t help but wonder if that’s what they hoped for. Hazen DNS, Freriks and Senseman performing under expectations. Reed did a nice job, but Walmsley stands out. I don’t know if the group itself deserves a special mention here.

Maybe! Or they can keep doing what they do, it’s just fine. But maybe we should stop running stories on them *as a group* when there are so many other equally relevant pairs, groups and other constellations of runners assembled through friendship, training, sponsors, etc.

Eric,
Last week you mentioned using CBD oil as a sleep aid and to reduce inflammation.
Do you have any recommendations on brand and dosage?
It’s hard to find any real data on the intardwebs.
Thanks,
An interested supporter

Look for full spectrum, although under the. 03% thc content, if you anticipate any drug testing and for ease of mind then you could go cbd isolate, which does not contain any thc. Sublingual is most effective in the majority of those using it. If you live in a state that offers medical Marijuana many allow purchase of cbd products without a card, but this does vary by state. Online there is as much crap as there is quality. Look for those who regularly provide lab results on their product. If I were to recommend one brand it would be Nuleaf naturals, if you’re looking for other types of product like salves, pills maybe green mountain cbd, although they don’t always provide regular labs. Hope this helps!

Another WS question for those in the know – was there any drug testing this year? There seemed to be a lot of hype about this last year and it was completely off the radar this year? Any positives last year?
Anyone have info on any TUEs? I feel they should make those public.

Thanks for filling me in. Too bad about the TUEs. IF there are TUEs in place, I’d bet they’d be mostly for testosterone. ‘Low T’ is not a valid excuse in my book. I wonder how many TUEs exists in the top 20 for each gender? 2-3? More?

Not that I would ever encourage drinking beer after running ;), but the paper cited in the article is not as exciting as the article itself: “Because of the known diuretic effects of alcohol, the view that alcohol-containing drinks should be avoided when rehydration is desired is widely promulgated, but there appears to be little evidence to support this.” Maybe we should all be drinking SufferFest FKT?

Great recap. Amazing about the DNFs. “Verbal Stew” for podcast updates??? I know a few local young girls (9-12) who MTB race so I wonder if there are some lessons to learn about MTB outreach and recruitment? Much like big road races who frequently offer a “kids race,” I do not know of any trail ultras who do the same.

I like listening to the URP daily, sometimes reading it I just skim the headlines to what looks interesting but may not actually read the article due to time restraints or initial lack of interest. With you reading it, it gives me more of an insight why you chose it , you do delve deeper into your own write up and also forcing me to absorb it where I may of not if it was just in text. Also I think it may give you a more precise platform to defend your own opinions and less of a chance of misinterpretation , unfortunately that seems to be where we are at these days in social media culture. I would love to hear different intro /outro music, it reminds me of the you-tube toy unboxing videos (very overused in that crazy world) my kid watches- cringe.

After spending the weekend volunteering and spectating at Western States, I am struck by the mountain biking piece. I have been around long-distance trail running and WS 100 for 25 years and have seen many advancements. More participation is great. I encourage everyone. But I’m a bit uncomfortable with some of the money, hype and attitude that is around today. Bigger is not always better. We need to be very careful.

Dr. Cucezella is a Family Medicine Doctor, and owns a running shoe store. Dan Lieberman, Harvard Palaeoanthropologist, doesn’t have any skin in the game, and hasn’t seen any evidence that padded shoes prevent injury.

I wonder what would happen if volunteering and trail work were requirements at more races. It’s hard not to appreciate the people and the trails when you’re the one doing the work. It would be a great equalizer, say something to the world about the culture (in the way that self-penalizing does for golf), and maybe turn away those who are just looking for the latest self-promotion on social media.

Check out Drcourtconley on instagram. She’s a chiropractor who specializes in foot stuff and gait analysis. She just did a review on Hokas. Interesting stuff. She has great videos breaking down foot and leg issues. I love watching her stuff!